General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I can't believe this: To get on Heart Transplant list, one needs to be nicotine free 6 months. [View all]Xithras
(16,191 posts)Your lungs are lined with tiny hair-like fibers called "cilia" that help to clear mucus debris from the lungs and prevent infection. Smoking paralyzes and destroys the cilia, which is where "smokers cough" comes from, and dramatically increases the odds of lung infections. In fact, smokers have a five fold greater likelihood of getting lung infections than nonsmokers because of this one important detail.
Most young smokers have vibrant immune systems that can combat any infections before they become serious, and don't have any immediate health problems from the loss. Transplant patients, on the other hand, will end up on immunosuppressants which will seriously hinder their ability to fight off those infections. With no cilia to clear the lungs, and no immune system to fight off infections, the odds that a smoker will contract a fatal lung infection after a transplant are astronomically higher than those of a nonsmoker.
On average, it takes 5-6 months for your cilia to regrow after you quit smoking. That's why smokers have to wait.